Oxidation in our bodies is a major cause of aging and disease. If you want to feel your best, avoid diseases down the line and maximize your healing potential, you need to keep oxidation under control. Fortunately antioxidants do just that.  Antioxidants are compounds made by our bodies and derived from our diets or supplements that curtail oxidation and its damaging effects. Unfortunately, however, the oxidizing effects of stress, environmental pollution and other toxins, chronic illness and excess body fat that characterize modern life have multiplied our need for antioxidants, so that most of us are suffering from “oxidative stress”—meaning we don’t have enough antioxidants to manage our level of oxidation.  For the vast majority antioxidant supplementation has become necessary.  Taking an array of different antioxidant supplements is the best approach since they work somewhat differently, complement and synergize with each other, and regenerate each…

Vitamin D and Brain Health: Why Adequate Levels Matter as We Age Study after study continues to highlight the wide-reaching role of vitamin D in human health—and cognitive function is now firmly part of that conversation. Research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that older adults with severe vitamin D deficiency were about 60% more likely to experience substantial cognitive decline compared with those who maintained adequate blood levels. The decline was seen in areas such as: Memory Learning Thinking and processing speed These findings add to earlier research suggesting that vitamin D supplementation may support attention and cognitive performance in elderly individuals with low baseline levels. Why Vitamin D Influences the Brain Vitamin D receptors are widely distributed throughout the brain, including regions involved in: Memory formation Executive function Mood regulation Vitamin D plays a role in: Reducing neuroinflammation Supportin…

In the last NewsClips we told you about a new test for oxidized LDL that should revolutionize cardiology.  It turns out that LDL cholesterol isn’t the problem—it’s only oxidized LDL that causes heart attacks and strokes.  And now a blood test for oxidized LDL has become widely available. But oxidation doesn’t just cause heart disease; it plays a role in all of the chronic diseases and in aging itself.  If you want to stay youthful and healthy, oxidation is something you need to address.  You can do that with antioxidants from food and supplements.  Oxidation is a normal biochemical reaction—it’s necessary to create energy from the food we eat; it’s also used to kill invading pathogens. But it can have destructive effects, creating something called free radicals ─ reactive molecules that damage DNA, cells and body tissues. Fortunately the body has a way of keeping oxidation in check: compounds called antioxidants.  Our bodies make antioxidants, li…

Although most people have trouble getting even the minimal 5-9 servings of fruit and vegetables per day. Recommended by the USDA, it seems that everyone agrees that eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables is very important for optimal good health. But why are fruits and vegetables so good for us?  Well, apart from being high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber, plant foods are good for us because they’re a rich source of antioxidant compounds called polyphenols.  Polyphenols protect plants from the oxidative stress caused by the sun’s UV rays, and by environmental pollution and pathogens. Humans who eat these plants get many benefits from the polyphenols they contain, including protection from asthma, allergies, cancer, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure, diabetes and infections, as well as inflammation and premature aging.     Over 8,000 different polyphenols have been identified. Quercetin, the most common polyphenol, is also one of the most important and…

The human microbiome—that 3½ to 4 pounds of bacteria, bacteriophage, fungi, protozoa, and viruses that live on and in us, primarily in our intestines, is finally getting the attention it deserves, and it’s now recognized how much these microbes, which number in the trillions, contribute to our health.They help us digest and absorb food, synthesize vitamins, produce amino acids, secrete mucus, prevent constipation by increasing motility, create food for intestinal cells, and, perhaps most importantly, partner with our immune system—60-80% of which is located in the intestines—by degrading toxins and competing with and killing off infectious bacteria and yeasts.However most of our microbiomes are in pretty bad shape, and in a recent article in the Townsend Letter, pharmacist Ross Pelton, who is also a nutritionist with a Ph.D. in psychology and holistic health, explains why.He compares the situation to a “perfect storm” of factors that have conspired to assault and damage…

Everyone knows that fruits and vegetables are good for us. Most people know we don’t get enough. But fewer people know that the nutritional content of conventionally grown fruits and vegetables has been declining steadily since the introduction of chemical farming (sometimes called industrial agriculture) after World War II.Various studies using government data have documented significant nutrient declines in fruits and vegetables from 1930 to the present—declines up to 99% in one case!—in protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, copper, magnesium, riboflavin, vitamin C, and vitamin A, while data on other nutrients like zinc, vitamin B6 and vitamin E weren’t collected until more recently, so no comparisons could be made.Why is nutrient content declining? Partly it’s due to traditional breeding techniques, in which fruits and vegetables are bred for better appearance, sweetness, faster growth, or ease of transport, often at the expense of nutritional quality. But a much larger re…

On December 23, 2020, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation banning the use of glyphosate on public lands throughout the state of New York. It’s the first state to enact such a ban and one more chink in the armor protecting chemical giant Monsanto, one of the world’s most reviled corporations, in its bid to continue poisoning the world with glyphosate!Another chink: Earlier in 2020, German chemical company Bayer, who recently bought Monsanto, agreed to settle tens of thousands of cancer claims linked to glyphosate for $10.9 billion. What is glyphosate? It’s the active ingredient in Monsanto’s herbicide Roundup, and it will kill any plant in its path except those plants genetically engineered by Monsanto to be “Roundup Ready.” An acknowledged carcinogen and endocrine disruptor, glyphosate has also been shown to kill good gut bacteria while favoring yeast and pathogens, and to interfere with the body’s detoxification system. Scientist Stephanie Seneff, who has focused on glyphosate…

According to our friends at Beyond Pesticides, food insecurity how affects 54 million people in the United States! And with the continued surge in COVID cases, the problem promises to become worse before it gets better.Our current food system, which has become increasingly dominated by fewer and fewer mammoth multinational corporations, has been criticized by leading scientists and economists for some time as being neither environmentally, nutritionally, socially nor economically sustainable. In our current pandemic crisis, this food system has proved to be cumbersome and inflexible, with farmers being forced to dump products and kill their livestock due to supply-chain disruptions and lack of access to markets at the same time that 15% of our population is in dire need of food and we continue to import food from overseas. Even before the current crisis, scholar-activist Raj Patel had pointed out that worldwide while 800 million people starved, over a billion were becoming obese on…

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a disorder characterized by abdominal pain or discomfort, along with chronic diarrhea, constipation, or both—either mixed or in alternation. Its impact ranges from mild inconvenience to severe debilitation. The economic burden of IBS to our country was estimated at $30 billion yearly in 2007. It affects 25-45 million people in the US, about 10-15% of the population worldwide. Studies indicate IBS is rare in underdeveloped countries and increases as countries (and their diets) become westernized. Women are twice as likely as men to be afflicted with IBS.Recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) isn’t restricted to adults. It’s been estimated that up to 25% of school-aged children worldwide suffer from RAP, and that about 60% of RAP is actually IBS. Although factors such as stress, hormonal fluctuations, and food allergies and sensitivities can trigger IBS and RAP, their causes are unknown.However, research done in the last twenty years indicates that for anywhere…

What You Put on Your Skin Doesn’t Stay on Your Skin Most people assume personal care products sit harmlessly on the surface of the body. In reality, many ingredients are absorbed through the skin and enter the bloodstream. And because the average person uses multiple products daily, exposure can accumulate quickly. It’s not uncommon for someone to use: shampoo conditioner lotion deodorant face wash moisturizer sunscreen makeup That’s 8+ chemical exposures before noon. Why Bodycare Products Can Be a Hidden Source of Toxins Modern personal care products can contain compounds linked to irritation, hormone disruption, or cellular stress. Some commonly discussed ingredient concerns include: parabens phthalates triclosan synthetic fragrance blends formaldehyde releasers 1,4-dioxane contamination One complicating factor: certain contaminants don’t have to appear on labels because they’re considered manufacturing byproducts rather…

Fructose is a form of sugar found naturally in fruits and vegetables. It’s also a component of refined table sugar, or sucrose, which is half glucose and half fructose, and of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which has a ratio of 55% fructose to 42% glucose.When it was discovered that fructose, unlike glucose, didn’t raise blood sugar levels or insulin and was significantly sweeter than glucose, it was hailed as a boon to all diabetics who could now satisfy a sweet tooth with impunity.But then a dark side of fructose came to light. Scientists discovered that while the body can handle reasonable amounts of fructose from fruits and vegetables without serum fructose concentrations rising to dangerous levels, it can be overwhelmed by large quantities of fructose, especially refined (man-made) fructose. Unfortunately, our steadily increasing consumption of refined sugar and HFCS seems to have done just that.In the 19th century, average refined sugar consumption was about 7 pounds per year p…

A large proportion of our society (36.9% at last estimate) now suffers from “metabolic syndrome.” Metabolic syndrome, which greatly increases the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is defined as having at least three of the five following conditions:abdominal obesity (waist circumference greater than 102 cm in men or 88 cm in women)high blood pressure (systolic blood pressure at least 130 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure at least 85 mm Hg or taking hypertension medications)high blood sugar(fasting plasma glucose level at least 100 mg/dL or taking diabetes medications)high triglycerides (greater than 150 mg/dL)low levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL), the “good” cholesterol (less than 40 mg/dL in men or less than 50 mg/dL in women)Epidemiological studies link fructose found in table sugar (a combination of fructose and glucose) and high fructose corn syrup with metabolic syndrome, but it’s been hard to prove causality. Obesity…

Back to the Basics: Why Fresh Food Still Wins The foundation of real health has never changed. It starts with fresh, natural food—not trends, not gimmicks, not “latest breakthroughs,” but the way humans have eaten for generations. A truly health-supportive lifestyle is built on: Fresh fruits and vegetables Clean meats and seafood Whole, intact grains Natural, unprocessed foods No refined sugars.No refined flours.No processed oils.No preservatives or chemical additives. This way of eating may be the “latest craze” in popular culture—but at Beyond Health, we simply smile.It’s exactly what Raymond Francis has been teaching for years. This isn’t a diet.It’s how the body is designed to function. Eat Foods the Body Recognizes When food is fresh and minimally processed, the body knows what to do with it: Digest it efficiently Extract nutrients properly Maintain stable energy and metabolism Support detoxification and repa…

It only makes sense to do whatever we can to strengthen our immune systems during the continuing COVID pandemic, and one of the best ways to do that is by supporting a thriving and varied population of beneficial bacteria in our intestines.More than 2/3 of immune cells are located in the gut, where they work synergistically with up to trillions of beneficial bacteria to support immunity.Beneficial gut bacteria activate and support almost every aspect of both innate and adaptive immunity. They increase production of and activate macrophages (the first responder immune cells that literally have pathogens for breakfast—they engulf and devour them) natural killer cells, messenger cells (cytokines), B-cells and T-cells; and they strengthen the gut lining; modify the immune system so it doesn’t overreact and cause too much inflammation; improve absorption of many nutrients; and produce their own natural antimicrobial substances. One of these, acidophilin, is more powerful than pharmaceutica…

Our gut microbiomes—those 3-5 pound communities of bacteria and other bugs that live in our intestines—have recently been under siege by modern diets high in sugar and low in fiber, antibiotics and other drugs, and environmental toxins. But even when diets were much healthier and environments far cleaner, traditional cuisines included probiotic foods that bolstered gut health.Sauerkrauts, pickles, yogurt, kefir, miso, and many other fermented/cultured foods supplied our ancestors with healthy microflora (probiotics) at 10-20 billion live and healthy organisms daily. Indeed, our bodies evolved to live in a healthy, symbiotic relationship with microbes. These helpful bugs that we call probiotics have been with us since time immemorial, protecting and enhancing our resilience and resistance by competing for space inside our bodies with any harmful pathogens to which we might become exposed, thus preventing them from becoming established and proliferating. Revered physicians throughout hi…

Excessive amounts of salt in the diet damages healthy bacteria living in our intestines and leads to high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and fatigue.But we need some salt. If you perspire, whether it's from exercising, using a sauna, or living in a hot climate, you can lose too much sodium and other minerals in your sweat causing serious consequences, even death. People with weak adrenals often don’t retain enough salt leading to excessively low blood pressure, so they need extra salt.According to Mark Kurlansky, author of Salt: A World History, humans began to include salt in their diets once crops were cultivated and grains introduced. Salt mobilizes enzymes that help to digest grains and balance their acidity with alkalinizing minerals. (Unless it’s conventional salt, stripped of its natural minerals, in which case it will only increase the acidifying effect of eating grains. More about that later.)The problem is most people are getting too much salt, and it’s…

Heavy metals, like lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic, are one of our biggest health problems. Used to manufacture many common products, they’re now found throughout our air, water and food. Virtually all of us harbor toxic heavy metals in our bodies.Heavy metals bioaccumulate, so even small exposures add up over time, triggering problems like heart disease, thyroid disease, dementia, neurological disease and birth defects. Tiny amounts of mercury have been shown to damage the brain of a developing fetus or child.Heavy metals cause problems by displacing other minerals needed for essential body functions. For example, cadmium can replace zinc in key enzymes, causing those enzymes to malfunction so critical biological functions can’t be performed.Many physicians use chelation to remove heavy metals—a “chelating agent” is ingested that binds with heavy metals and carries them out of the body through urine and/or feces. Chelation therapy is especially recommended, and has often been a “m…

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to soaring rates of depression in the US. A study in JAMA Network Open found that the number of people reporting depressive symptoms has tripled compared with pre-pandemic levels, with more than 25% of our population now affected. Indeed depression has become a second pandemic.Depression is more than being unhappy. Its symptoms include a hopeless outlook and thoughts of suicide; feelings of worthlessness and guilt; a loss of interest in life and in things that used to provide pleasure and comfort; trouble concentrating, deciding and remembering; increased fatigue and sleep problems; anxiety and irritability; unwanted gain or loss of weight; uncontrollable, roller-coaster emotions; and sometimes unexplained physical pain. It often leads to substance abuse, which, although a temporary escape, makes the depression worse. Although the researchers in the above study found increased stress leading to depression at all income levels and in all demograph…